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望郷 (Nostalgia) by 東郷青児 / Seiji Togo (Japanese) - Oil on canvas / 1959 - Sompo Museum of Art (Tokyo, Japan) #WomenInArt #art #SeijiTogo #東郷青児 #TogoSeiji #womensart #ArtText #SOMPO美術館 #sompo #oilpainting #japaneseart #japaneseartist #青児美人 #美人 #beauty #artwork #ModernArt #artoftheday #portraitofawoman
In ”Nostalgia” (望郷) by Japanese artist Seiji Togo (東郷青児), we see a woman standing motionless in front of the remains of what appears to be an ancient Greek temple. At the 5th Japan International Art Exhibition, it received the “Audience Award,” chosen by votes cast by visitors to the exhibition. The “simple pleasing beauty” of the woman and the almost lyrical flow of the picture — a style which became commonly known as “Seiji Beauties” (青児美人) inferring “paintings of beauties in the Seiji style” — has been described by some as too “commonplace” or “regular.” Regardless of whether people appreciate this style of art or not, his painting is hailed as a masterpiece of the Togo style that remains impactful to this day. The distant ancient ruins seen in the background of the picture were added to Togo’s repertoire from the mid-1930s, when the general public began to become more familiar with his growing body of work. The idea of “nostalgia” was one of Togo’s consistent themes since his 20s, when he spent seven years living in France. “Nostalgia” was first exhibited for the public one year after the Tokyo Tower was completed. It is likely that the sentimental emotions expressed in this painting by Togo found resonance in the minds of viewers who were living in the midst of a period of high economic growth when the Tokyo landscape was undergoing dramatic changes. Born in Kagoshima Prefecture, Togo was active in Tokyo as part of the Nika Society, an organization founded to promote contemporary art in Japan. During his 7-year stay in France from the age of 24, Togo embraced Spanish artist Pablo Picasso’s belief in the importance of an artist committing oneself to one’s own unique style. He researched traditional techniques of Western painting, decorative art techniques, and design. Following his return to Japan, Togo became famous for a new vision for the modern Japanese feminine “ideal” thanks to his diverse and popular body of work including murals and illustrations.
June 14, 2025 at 4:51 AM
mdstamper.bsky.social
婦人像 (Picture of Woman) by 東郷青児 (Seiji Tōgō, Japanese) - Oil on canvas / 1930-1935 - Iwami Art Museum (Masuda, Japan) #womeinart #oilpainting #art #JapaneseArt #TogoSeiji #SeijiTōgō #東郷青児 #SeijiTogo #artwork #JapaneseArtist #IwamiArtMuseum #島根県立石見美術館 #womensart #洋画 #modernart #二科会 #モダンガール #モガ #style
In this oil on canvas work by Japanese artist Seiji Tōgō (東郷青児), we see a sophisticated young Japanese woman wearing a stylish dark gray hat, long elbow-length black gloves and a cream-colored, collared dress with a flat black belt. She stands in front of a background consisting of geometric shapes. It is typical of his refined style of work, reflecting the artist's childhood in the capital of Japane and his acquaintance with European avant-garde artists. Togo’s pictures of women, with their soft coloring, became popular in post-war Japan, but the work shown here dates from the early thirties, before he had established the so-called "Togo style." It was from around the end of the 1920s that women in Western garb, known as "modern girls" (モダンガール or abbreviated as モガ aka "moga"), first made an appearance in Japan. Born in Kagoshima in 1897, Togo moved to Tokyo while he was still young and after graduating from Aoyama Gakuin high school, he studied art under Arishima Ikuma. In 1916, his first entry to the Nikaten (Second Division Society) Exhibition, a work in the Futurist style, was accepted and this caused quite a sensation. In 1921, he went to study in Europe where he came into contact with Duchamp and Tristan Tzara, he also visited Filippo Tommaso Marinetti of the Futurists in Italy and was made most welcome. Upon his return to Japan, he exhibited the works he had produced in Europe at the Nikaten Exhibition and was made a member of the Nika Society (of artists in Japan). After the war, he worked to reestablish the Nika Society and became its leader. The “pleasing beauty” of the woman and the flow of the picture (a style which became commonly known as “Seiji Beauties” or “paintings of beauties in the Seiji style”) has been described by some as “commonplace.” However, regardless of whether one likes this style of art or not, this painting remains a masterpiece of the artist's style that lingers in the memory of many.
March 24, 2025 at 7:48 PM
kanemassey.bsky.social
Atorie別冊 No.46 (1959).
Cover photograph by Noboru Yoshida, whose duotone collage style defined the magazine’s late-50s visual identity. Inside: work by Togo Seiji (1897–1978) and others exploring “The Image of the Nude.”
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#Atorie #TogoSeiji #NoboruYoshida #NYoshida #ArtHistory #JapanVintage
February 17, 2026 at 4:08 PM